To Be A True Master part 11
by B. Juster II
Summary: The (long) story of a new pokemon trainer, his quest for a legendary evil that he released, and all his adventures along the way


  
Part 21 - The Journey MUST Go On!  
  
  
  
  
"Charcloy...." I whispered as I came to, pain radiating from what must have been hundreds of bruises. "This can't happen."  
Rain patteres softly on the muddy ground all around me. Several feet away, Charcloy lay in an unmoving heap, his arm outstretched so his paw rested over my hand.  
"Charcloy, please," I moaned, fearing what I saw happening.  
One eye opened, then turned to look at me, pain filling it. Charcloy's eye began to close, quivering as he tried to hang onto life. He fought a losing battle, and we both knew it.  
I managed to crawl over to him, pain racking my mind. "Charcloy, please stay here, don't go," I said, my voice choking uncontrollably.  
For once, this was an order he could not obey, His eye dropped close, his paw slumped down on my hand, and with a last breath, he died.  
"No!" I barked out. My hand clutched Charcloy's claw as I dropped to the ground beside him, tortured sobs shaking my form.  
Sadness overwhelmed me like a blanket, self loathing and blame coming on like waves. My friend was gone, my true companion through all my journeys, and there was nothing I could do, I would never see him again.  
I faintly heard voices yelling and coming nearer, but didn't care. I wanted to die, not to live without my friend, my first pokemon, my brother in spirit, and my life comrade.  
As people dragged me away from Charcloy's body, I only slumped down, staring and crying softly. The whole of the next week I spent in a hotel room, alone but for James, who was not an emotional person. He wasn't cruel or uncaring, he just didn't know what to do, so he and Jessie spent that week avoiding me, preparing for Charcloy's funeral, and engaging in light pokemon battles with local trainers. Lark had survived the disaster thanks to Pidgeot, and took care of the rest of my pokemon. Arcanine understood me best, and spent his time mostly in my room, watching over me as I sat motionless on my bed, just thinking about Charcloy, trying to blame myself for his needless death.  
The next Saturday, Professor Oak and several Pallet Town Trainers arrived at Cinnabar, and tried to cheer me up. I listened with mild, blank interest as Professor Oak cheerfully told me that he'd traded all my Squirtles and Wartortles for the following. Farfetch'd, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Staryu, Pinsir, Muk, Lickitung, Jynx, Electrode, Marowak, Slowbro, Tentacruel and Graveler. I now had 44 types. Professor Oak even admitted that I now had passed even Ash and Gary, and indeed every other trainer from Pallet Town.  
It turned out that Charcloy had the grandest funeral a pokemon could afford, courtesy of Blaine, Cinnabar's Gym Leader. He considered it an honor to allow Charcloy's final resting place to be the Cinnabar Volcano, and I agreed. It seemed only right for Charcloy to rest for eternity in the flames which he had held so dear in life.  
"We have come here today to say our last farewells to a truly great being. Jack Soniq's Charcloy, the only in the world, was the most loyal and steadfast pokemon ever known. In the end, he gave his life protecting his master." Officer Jenny took a deep breath, then continued, beginning to recite Charcloy's story, as given by me. "He was purchased by Jack from an unknown trainer, and became Jack's starting pokemon. He then..." Jenny's words and the volcano drifted away as I stood, thinking over every memory of Charcloy.  
His acceptance of me as a friend in Professor Oak's lab, his first battle and victory against Nidoran, battles in Viridian forest with the troop of birds and Pikachus. The victory and evolution at the Pewter Gym, first battle with Ultrareon, death, evolution into Charcloy. Then, his quick victory at the Cerulean gym, battle with James Garner in the Cerulean fields.   
My thoughts went on throughout all of Charcloy's life and battles, until his final, climactic flight to save me from the three legendary birds.  
"-Charcloy was loyal to the very end, when he died-" Officer Jenny even shed a tear, though she had never met Charcloy. Everyone in the volcano looked up, to see a Pidgeot, mine, lowering a small coffin. In the coffin was an Ultra Ball, where Charcloy rested. "-Protecting his master," Officer Jenny finished, then wiped her eyes with her sleeve.  
Sorrow drove through my gut like a knife, prompting a lump to rise in my throat. People bowed their heads in respect, then the coffin hissed as it slid into the boiling lava, carrying one of the most powerful and legendary pokemon in the world into the earth.   
  
"Go AWAY!" I yelled for what I thought to be the hundreth time (actually only the third). The knock came again, but this time as the door to my hotel room opened a crack. Staring daggers, I slowly turned my head from the comforting darkness of my pillow to look. Meowth's furry head poked through the door, followed by the rest of him. He stood silent, nervous, with his paws behind his backpack.  
Then, he whipped out a small paper bag, and held it out to me. "Thoughtcha might be hungry," he said timidly. I wasn't in the least hungry, but I just couldn't bear to yell at the cute little cat, who was just coming with an offering. I turned away, wiping away fresh tears that had sprung out for no reason. I had been cooped up in this dark room for three days. Jessie and James had occasionally come by to make sure I was alive. When they did come by, they tried to cheer me up by talking about recent battles they had fought and won. But I never listened. Charcloy's death was still burning my soul uncontrollably.  
Lark had come by several times, and her visits slightly cheered me up. That morning, when she had come by to try to get me up, she had vaguely muttered about some new trainer who had come to Cinnabar, seeking a challenge. She, Jessie and James were off to go meet him.  
Meowth padded quietly across the carpet, dropped the bag on my bedside table, and popped up beside me. I turned away. He climbed over me, then sat down in front of my face again.  
"What?" I asked bitterly.  
He shrugged. "Just thoughtcha might like some company."  
I snorted and turned away again.   
"Also, Jessie and James are gone for the day, so I thought I'd hang around with you," the little cat added.  
"Just keep it quiet," I growled. There was a rustling, then I felt Meowth curl up at the foot of my bed. I tried desperately for hours to catch some depressed sleep, feeling like there was nothing else to do. And in my view, there wasn't. My best friend was gone. Never to be seen again. I couldn't sleep, my mind was just too tortured by the overwhelming pain and loss of the one true friend I had always had.  
Heck, who am I kidding, Meowth's snoring was keeping me awake. I hit him with a nearby glass on the head, and he just turned around and started snoring again. I finally overcame my depression and the noisemaker at the foot of my bed, and fell into a deep, painful sleep, filled with images of my lost comrade.  
"Jack? Jack, wake up." I opened an eye, and, finding it was Lark, opened the other.  
"What?" I said dully.  
"It's time for you to get up and move around, this isn't healthy!" She said in a commanding tone of voice. I considered what she said for a moment, and incredibly, those 13 words made sense. I sat slowly up, wincing as bones and muscles that hadn't been used for days were resurrected.  
"Go on and take a shower," she commanded, then sniffed the air and winced. "A LONG one, and I'll have your lunch prepared by then."   
I didn't argue. I couldn't. I felt bad about laying around for days, doing nothing, neglecting my pokemon and the search for Ultrareon. So I did exactly what Lark demanded, took a 20 minute shower, and then slowly dressed, before coming out, feeling a lot better.  
She had actually tidied up my small hotel room, packed my supplies into my backpack, and brought out some of my pokemon for some exercise and a quick meal. I walked over to where Lark was petting Bulbasaur, and watched for a moment.  
When she looked up and saw me, she reached down to her jacket, opened it up, and took a minimized pokeball from its holster.   
"Jack, I've been meaning to give this to you. I know you'll be a good trainer for him. I know I never will," she said quietly.  
I hesitated a moment, then took it from her, carefully clipping it to my belt. "Thanks, but what is it?"  
She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, Jessie exploded into the room frantically.  
"James is in a major fight!" She yelled.  
Lark and I both turned quickly.   
****************************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
Part 22 - Everyone Has To Have A Rival, Right?   
(If not, then where is this chapter leading to?)  
  
  
  
  
Lark and I charged without hesitation into the large crowd on Cinnabar's beach. In the two minutes it took us to reach the center, where the battle was being held, the three of us (Jessie, Lark and I) heard terrible sounds of battle. I could hear James's voice, and another one, a younger one. Electricity filled the air, and I could hear Jolteon yipping in pain.  
Then, I heard the crowd cheer, and a moment later, Jolteon went flying through the air, splashing into the ocean waters. With a strangled cry, the crowd parted to let James through, running to care for his hurt pokemon. Behind me, Jessie snarled and exploded forward, rushing to confront whoever had taken James down.  
Lark and I caught up with her just as she challenged the boy, fury in her eyes. He was about 11, a year younger than me, with dark brown hair held in by a pokemon league cap. He wore a full pokeball belt which he displayed when hew swept aside his leather pokemon league jacket.   
He maximized a pokeball, holding it high in the air. From the way he made his speech, I assumed he said it quite often.  
"From the town of Celadon I am Jeffrey Silph, journeying to become the greatest pokemon master!" Jeffrey gave Jessie a smirk, and smoothly tossed his pokeball to the ground.  
"Blaaaast!" A Blastoise as arrogant as its trainer flexed its muscles for the crowd, then cocked his hydro cannons at Jessie.  
"Go, Drowzee!" Jessie shouted, releasing for its first battle the afore said pokemon.  
Drowzee waved its hands hypnotically, staring down the killer blastoise with the cool that only a psychic pokemon could manage.  
"Blastoise...." Jeffrey grinned, "Skull Bash!"  
"Drowzee, Confusion!"  
'That blastoise is at a high level if it knows skull bash,' I thought 'Drowzee doesn't stand much of a chance, it's freshly caught.'  
As I thought this, Blastoise's pokemon power was put into effect, bringing him to hover above the ground, glowing.  
"Drowwwww....zeeeeee!" Drowzee's Confusion attack blasted out with incredible power, hurling Blastoise into the air, then down to the ground.  
"Blastoise, common! Get that Drowzee!" Jeffrey commanded sternly. The Blastoise stood up, holding its head and staggering aimlessly.   
"Skull Bash NOW!" Jeffrey barked.  
"Better be careful," Jessie taunted Jeffrey "That Blastoise is confused!"  
At that moment, Blastoise hurtled towards Drowzee, furious at being made a fool of, with the crowd laughing at him.   
Jessie's Drowzee looked amused, then serious. When the charging water type was within a foot of him, he suddenly leapt into the air, and hovered for a moment, silhouetted against the sun.  
"Mega Kick now!" Jessie ordered. Drowzee screamed in like a bullet, glowing and pumped. The kick slammed into Blastoise's shell, and sent him on a ten foot flight into a large rock on the beach. Rock shattered into thousands of pieces and pokemon lay slumped in the dust, and that battle was over.  
Jeffrey recalled his wounded pokemon, and hurled out another pokeball, brimming with confidence. Ironically, his choice was a squirtle. Jessie and the people behind her exploded into laughter.  
"You must be really stupid to use a squirtle when I beat your Blastoise!" Jessie hooted, doubled up in laughter. Drowzee smiled and braced to take out the squirtle.   
"Squirtle, Hyper Beam attack now!" Jeffrey growled.  
"SQUIrrrrrrrtlllllEEEE!!!" Everybody on the beach watched in astonishment as the little squirtle exploded into a brilliant white ball. Drowzee moaned as if defeated, a second before the beam slammed into him, holding up for a long ten seconds. The beam detonated into a sphere of red light which surrounded Drowzee, obstructing him from view. People were scattered wildly at the intensity of the blast.  
"Drowzee return," Jessie withdrew the thoroughly downed pokemon, and hurled out another. "This'll be perfect for your squirtle!" she said proudly as her Jolteon prepared for battle several feet from the squirtle.  
"Jolteon, Thunderbolt!"  
"Squirtle, Withdraw and shell bash!"  
Jolteon backed up for a moment, then let loose a powerful shot of electricity. At that moment however, Squirtle disappeared into his shell, and, glowing, hovered in the air. When Jolteon's attack hit, the blue shell was swiftly spinning forward, yellow sparks shooting from his shell. Squirtle slammed into Jolteon with crushing force, sending both pokemon to the ground.  
Squirtle recovered first, and dove upon the still dazed Jolteon. "Squirtle, Comet Punch!" Jeffrey ordered with his arm triumphantly pointed towards Jolteon. Squirtle lit into poor Jolteon without mercy, slamming his fists dozens of times into Jolteon's midsection, face, paws, back, everywhere.   
THUD. Jolteon fell to the ground, bruised, battered, and utterly defeated. Jessie's shoulders hunched as she boiled in her own fury. Back came Jolteon, and with a ferocious throw, out came Lickitung.   
"Lickitung, paralyze it with your lick attack!" Jessie said.  
"Squirtle, Seismic Toss!" Jeffrey countered calmly.  
Lickitung's tongue shot forward, reaching for Squirtle, but the little water type was fast, and caught the appendage. The next second, Squirtle was glowing, and Lickitung was above his head, being whirled around by his tongue!  
"Lickiiiiiiiiiiii!" Lickitung moaned as it began to get dizzy. Squirtle cured that. The ground shook, pebbles hopped up into the air, and people gasped as Lickitung was smashed into the concrete ground, where he lay still in a hole in his own shape.   
Jessie silently recalled him, and hurled out Arbok.  
"Chaaaabok...." Arbok whined pathetically as he fell in coils to the ground, frozen by an Ice Beam not twenty seconds into the battle. In record time, (8 seconds), Jessie's last pokemon, Doduo was KO'd by a shocking thunderbolt, unheard of coming from a squirtle.   
Jessie fell to the ground, ultimately humiliated.  
"Look's like it's my turn!" Lark snapped from beside me, then ran to take Jessie's place.   
Naturally, not being a born fighter, Lark asked questions first. "How'd your Squirtle know those attacks? Water types can't learn those!"  
Jeffrey smirked. "I toldja! My dad's the boss of Silph Co. He specially engineered that Squirtle for me. It's also my most powerful pokemon. Blastoise is in fact, only level 46, but Squirtle's level 73!"  
The people in the crowd gasped, and Lark's jaw slackened, but her resolve didn't. She held up a pokeball. "Let's battle, rich boy!"  
Jeffrey's face hardened instantly. "I don't need squirtle to take you down," he said angrily, and returned the somewhat flustered looking pokemon. "Go.... Poliwhirl!"   
A serene looking Poliwhirl emerged, and did a quick dance for the crowd, twirling on one foot.  
"Oddish, I choose you!" Lark summoned the small weed quietly.  
"Poliwhirl, beat up this wimp! Flamethrower!" Jeffrey shook his head at the tiny Oddish. Just as Poliwhirl let loose an incredible flamethrower attack, Oddish began to glow, then grow bigger. Luckily for Lark, the evolution prevented the damage that the flamethrower would have done to him.  
"Okay Gloom," Lark said, eyes shining. "Show him that attack we tried! Go Poisonous Stun sleep Powder!"  
"What?" Jeffrey asked, looking at his poliwhirl, who also shrugged. When poliwhirl turned back though, a dark green cloud of dust sprayed over him, instantly finding its way into his eyes, nose, mouth, between his toes and coating his wet skin. With a squeal, Poliwhirl dropped and rolled around, trying vainly to get away from the horrible stinging of the poisonpowder, the numbness of the Stun Spore, and the comforting softness of the Sleep Powder.   
"Poliwhirl!" Jeffrey cried, then looked as if he had gotten an idea. "Confusion now Poliwhirl!"  
Poliwhirl squeaked and tensed up. For several seconds, the blue thing quivered. Then, without warning, the green powder exploded from Poliwhirl, covering Gloom instead.  
Gloom staggered, trying to cope with the three powders. Poliwhirl came out of his trance, grinning and ready to take the fight to Gloom.   
"Gloom, Acid!" Lark said half-heartedly.  
"Poliwhirl water gun now!"  
Gloom's weak blob of acid was disintegrated by a powerful water gun attack, which then moved on to slam into Gloom, knocking the already weakened pokemon out. Lark snapped her fingers and recalled Gloom. "Now I choose.... Drowzee, go!"  
Lark's first pokemon, Drowzee, emerged, looking aged and wise. "Drowzee, Confusion!"  
Drowzee turned to Lark and shook his head solemnly. Lark looked shocked. Without a word or other movement, Drowzee turned towards Poliwhirl, and clapped his hands together. A ball of purple energy appeared above his head, quivered for a moment, then shot forward and slammed into Poliwhirl, throwing it back several feet.  
"Allright!" Lark yelled. "Drowzee learned Psychic!"  
But as Lark was rejoicing and Drowzee was looking rather smug, Poliwhirl hopped up.  
"Hydro Pump!" Came Jeffrey's voice. Lark looked up instantly. Instantly was just how long it took for Poliwhirl to conjure up a ferocious blast of twin water geysers. The water lit into Drowzee like a boulder, throwing him back a foot. Drowzee landed on his feet, and struggled to keep his balance on one foot. Poliwhirl leered (not an attack) at Drowzee, and blew out an awesome bubblebeam attack. The explosive bubbles struck Drowzee, and he totalyl lost his balance, spinning unceremoniously heda-over-heels until he rolled up against Lark, practically blinking in widescreen 'fainted. fainted. fainted.'  
Lark snapped her fingers and withdrew Drowzee. I gulped nervously when I saw Drowzee instantly KO'ed several feet from me, then brought my concentration back to my own pokemon team. I would have to battle next, to defend my friend's honor. I looked back to Professor Oak in the small screen of my pokedex. "Okay, I traded back that new pokemon Lark gave me, now let's see, who should I choose?"  
Professor Oak leaned on the lid of a pot on his stove and thought too. "How about Vileplume?" he suggested. "It's a plant type, and from what I can see out of the corner of the screen, that trainer is using water types."  
"I'll take Ninetales," I said, ignoring his suggestion.   
"CRASH!" Professor Oak slipped off his cooking dish and fell to the floor. When he came back up, he was looking at me like I wasa madman. "Jack! Ninetales is a fire type!"  
I nodded.  
"Fire is weeeeeeak against water," he explained to me in a slow voice.  
I shifted uncomfortably as Lark's Flareon sailed past me. "Yeah, I know Professor, but Ninetales is special. He isn't really affected by attacks like water gun or thunderbolt or flamethrower. Only physical contact attacks, and I'm guessing that this Jeffrey Silph guy doesn't train his pokemon for hand to hand combat."  
Oak sighed and placed one of my trademark Great Balls in the transferral machine, and a moment later I had the ball clipped to my belt.   
"Oh professor," I said in a pleading voice. "Do you have any TMs around?"  
Oak looked joyful. "Why yes, I do! But I'd have to sell them for a greater price than a normal store, since the money goes to the pokemon fund, which helps out with me taking care of the pokemon in my preserve."  
"That's okay, I have money to burn, do you have the Hyper Beam TM?"  
Oak nodded as he stirred whatever he was cooking. He rummaged around in a cabinet several feet away, so I couldn't see him, and came backa moment later with the handheld black device labeled 'TM 15'. "It's $150 though...." he said doubtfully.  
"I'll still take it," I said, putting my trainer's credit card in the pokedex slot. Oak suddenly snapped his fingers and thumped himself on the head.   
"That's right," he said scoldingly. "For 50 extra, I can make this TM an unlimited use, but it will melt if you sell it to someone else."  
"Even better!" I said with a laugh and slid my card through again. Oak slid the TM through a small machine, then pushed it into the transferral plate, and it materialized on my pokedex.   
Lark's flareon sank to the ground, and she sent out Growlithe. I quickly thanked Professor Oak and shut off the pokedex.   
"Niiine..."  
"Rrrr?"  
"Blaaaast...."  
"Dgeot!"  
"Bulbasaur...."  
"Pika!"  
Ten feet away from the battle, away from the crowd, though some turned to watch, I released all my pokemon. "Allright guys," I said, pacing back and forth in front of my curious friends. "We're in for a tough fight today."  
They all grinned and sat back confidently, murmuring to each other.   
"Are you pumped?"  
They all yelped enthusiastically.  
"Are you primed?"  
More enthusiasm.  
"Are ya ready?"  
Even more as they all leapt around impatiently, ready for battle.  
"Do you know which way the battle is?" I asked exasperatedly as they all ran off down the beach. They skidded to a halt and walked back to me sheepishly.  
"Okay guys, I have the Hyper Beam TM here, the more powerful attack known. It can only be taught to fully evolved pokemon though, so I'm afraid you can't learn it Bulbasaur." Bulbasaur kicked the sand angrily, and Pikachu broke into laughter. All the pokemon stared at him, grinning.   
"Kaa...." He cheeped pitifully, looking himself over.  
I knelt beside him, he looked rather sad. Without a word, I opened one of the many puches on my belt and held out a Thunderstone. Pikachu looked up, and brightened.  
"Pika! Pikachu chu pikachu!" He squaked, hopping from foot to foot excitedly.  
"Just as I thought," I said with a chuckle, and touched the stone to Pikachu's striped back.  
"Raiiii...." He glowed and his tail lengthened, his body grew, his face grew sharper and more like a fighter. "Raichu!" He spat, lashing his tail through the air.  
"Okay guys, line up and prepare to learn the Hyper Beam," I instructed, then bent down to Ninetales. A ball of energy leapt from the TM into Ninetales, and he turned, muttering to himself as he rehearsed the technique in his mind's eye. So it went until I got to Arcanine. Arcanine tossed his head after he had learned the TM, but I kept him for a moment longer from joinging his partners in discussion.  
"Arcanine, I wasn't kidding when I said this was to be a tough battle," I whispered.   
He cocked his head curiously.  
"This trainer has unusual water types," I continued "Now I'm going to put someone else out first, but you're going last. You're part dragon, and you do best with Hyper Beam. If I call you out, you'll be my last defense, so make a good account of yourself, 'kay boy?"  
Arcanine barked loudly and stood up, waving his paws for a moment. Back at the battle, Lark's Growlithe howled and collapsed. The crowd burst into applause and let a saddened Lark out.  
With several words from Jeffrey, the crowd parted, and he walked out to me, looking proud, yet squinting and looking at me with a little respect.   
"I hear you're the REAL trainer of your little group," he said, jerking a finger to Jessie, James and Lark, who all flinched.  
"Uhh, yeah," I said, not liking the way the crowd and Jeffrey were leering at me.  
"I also hear you're from that itty bitty little place called Pallet."  
"Where do you get your information?" I asked, my wit returning. "I'd love to sit her e all day and listen to useless facts about myself, but I need to teach you a lesson to avenge my friends."  
Jeffrey's lip twitched, and withut any other movements, he snapped up a pokeball, held it out, and grew dead serious as he said three words. "You're going down!"  
I motioned to Raichu, who stepped forward, grinning.  
"Let's go!"  
  
  
  
"Blastoise!" Jeffrey barked as he released just that pokemon.  
'Raichu's about level 40, that Blastoise is about 46-50, should be an even match,' I thought. "Raichu, bring up your speed with agility!"  
"Blastoise, Mega Kick!"  
Blastoise whirled for a moment, then hurtled in at the empty space where Raichu just was. By now though, my pokemon was streaking around the beach, excercising and stretching out, runnign circles around a more and more confused enemy.   
"Now Raichu, put your tail in his shell and give him thunderbolt!"  
Raichu reappeared beside Blastoise, plugged hsi tail in, and let loose. Blastoise lit up like a Christmas tree, howling and groaning for the ten seconds that Raichu stood there calmly, licking his paws and pumping electricity through his tail.   
Jeffrey lowered and shook his head, muttering something derogatory about his Blastoise. "Return! Go.... Poliwhirl!"  
Jeffrey's Poliwhirl, the only pokemon he had used to defeat Lark appeared. As before, it did its little dance, but ended it this time by whirling and giving Raichu a Mega Punch that hurled him back five feet.  
Instantly me and my other pokemon crowded behind me yelled and surged forward. "That was a dirty trick!" I accused, winding up for a mega punch of my own on Jeffrey. He just stood there smirking. I couldn't move, because there Lark was, holding me back by my collar, helped by Jessie and James.  
"Raichu, Swift now!" I yelled, then turned to assure my frineds that I was calm. Raichu's powerful swift attack sent Poliwhirl staggering back, but unfortunately, it wasn't hurt.   
"Poliwhirl, Confusion!"  
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"  
Raichu's energy exploded into the air, slamming into Poliwhirl. No, it hit a barrier. The energy splattered for a moment, then reformed, turned, and hit a shocked Raichu, incinerating him on the spot with his own attack.  
I held out a pokeball and returned Raichu, slightly worried. "Go Pidgeot!"   
Showing no fear, Pidgeot jumped into the air from his comrades, and took flight. My other 4 pokemon barked, growled and grunted proudly, knowing their veteran friend had the battle won already.  
"Pidgeot, go mirrmor move!"  
"Dgeoooot!" Pidgeot flipped in midair, stayed still for a moment, then released a Confusion attack, throwing Poliwhirl back with a raw psychic blast.   
"Poliwhirl, Bubblebeam!" Jeffrey ordered sternly.   
"Pidgeot, Sky Attack!"  
As Poliwhirl sent out glowing explosive bubbles, Pidgeot turned into a red silhouette, shining in the morning air. At an incredible speed, the form sliced through the bubbles, slashed over Poliwhirl several times, and then tackled him out of the fight.  
"Poliwhirl return!" Jeffrey shouted, and the battle became fiercer. "Go Poliwrath!"  
"Pidgeot, Quick Attack!"   
Pidgeot screamed in at Poliwrath's back as it did a dance for the crowd. Just before Pidgeot would've hit, Poliwrath turned, snatched Pidgeot by the wings, and hurled him to the ground. Pidgeot leapt up, slightly stunned, and found himself looking into Poliwrath's Hypnosis attack, courtesy of an order from Jeffrey. Pidgoet began to swing from side to side as Poliwrath's circles moved enchantingly. On the sidenlines, Blastoise, Bulbasaur, Arcanine and Ninetales all started growling and barking frantically for Pidgeot not to go to sleep. They had seen Poliwrath Body Slam Pidgeot, and none of them were looking forward to having to go out to fight him.  
Too late. Even though I joined in yelling, Pidgeot toppled, curling up contentedly to sleep away the battle. I sighed, and motioned to Blastoise. The water giant walked out to the field of battle, and carried Pidgeot away from the field. While Ninetales, Arcanine and Bulbasaur tried vainly to wake Pidgeot up, Blastoise timidly returned to face down Poliwrath.   
"Doubleslap now Poliwrath!" Jeffrey wasted no time. Poliwrath jumped into the air several times, then, fast as a bullet, he bolted over to Blastoise and began slapping him fiercely, knocking his opponent back with every blow.  
I wuickly forulated a plan to get Blastoise into the fight. "Blastoise, don't take this from him! Catch his hand, throw him into the air, and blast him with your Hydro Pump!"  
Blastoise snarled as his anger increased from the hits he was receiving from the highly animated Poliwrath. Poliwrath's glowing fist came around again. This time Blastoise's paw was in its way. Both fighters paused, staring each other down. Then, Blastoise lifted a squealing Poliwrath over his head, and launched him thirty feet skyward. As Poliwrath began to fall, the crowd held their breath. Blastoise's Hydro Cannons aimed, then aimed again, then started moving to follow Poliwrath's descent.  
"NOW Blastoise!" I howled furiously. Blastoise recoiled as his cannons erupted with double balls of steaming water. A second before Poliwrath hit the ground, the twin water balls impacted him, spraying everywhere and throwing him hard into a rock, where he lay quietly moaning and quivering.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
